At least 35 people were reportedly arrested Tuesday during a peaceful protest for reproductive rights held outside of the Supreme Court, and about half of those are members of the U.S. Congress.
Those detained seem to be primarily members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, who gathered to protest the recent disastrous Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade and Planned Parenthood v Casey, robbing half of the country of their right to reproductive freedom. The protest was a nonviolent act of civil disobedience but arrests were made, according to the Capitol police, for “Crowding, Obstructing or Incommoding,” which is an antiquated synonym for “inconveniencing”—literally a necessary element of effective protest. Absolutely nothing has ever been achieved through “convenient” protest.
The list of those members of Congress arrested includes Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Katherine Clark (who is the Democratic assistant speaker of the House), Jackie Speier, Carolyn B. Maloney, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Andy Levin, Sara Jacobs, Nydia Velázquez, Barbara Lee, Veronica Escobar, Cori Bush, Jan Schakowsky, Madeleine Dean, Bonnie Watson-Coleman, and Alma Adams.
Proud to march with my Democratic colleagues including @DemWomenCaucus members, and get arrested for women’s rights, abortion rights, the rights for people to control their own bodies and the future and our democracy! #BansOffOurBodies #WeWontGoBack pic.twitter.com/tnSlo7hvXf
— Jackie Speier (@RepSpeier) July 19, 2022
Some of the members of Congress arrested: @RepSpeier @CarolynBMaloney @AOC @RashidaTlaib @Ilhan @AyannaPressley @RepAndyLevin @SaraJacobsCA @RepKClark @ReElectNydia @RepBarbaraLee @RepCori @janschakowsky @RepDean pic.twitter.com/NMSV9BQP4W
— Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) July 19, 2022
Pressley’s press secretary tweeted a video of the congresswoman being escorted away while carrying a sign reading “My Body, My Choice.”
Just now, @RepPressley arrested protesting on the steps of the Supreme Court for abortion rights pic.twitter.com/Lh0US0BvbX
— mae | مي (@maeldahshoury) July 19, 2022
Rep Clark tweeted: “The extremist Republicans are determined to take us back in time and take away our rights. They can arrest me, but we won’t allow them to arrest freedom.”
The extremist Republicans are determined to take us back in time and take away our rights. They can arrest me, but we won’t allow them to arrest freedom. #AbortionIsHealthcare #BansOffOurBodies pic.twitter.com/EhywtkojrM
— Katherine Clark (@RepKClark) July 19, 2022
One has a moral responsibility to push back against unjust laws.
— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) July 19, 2022
Today, I am standing up for reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy in solidarity with the millions who have had their rights stripped away by inhumane policies. pic.twitter.com/EnS8YEbc8t
Today, Rep. AOC was arrested along with other members of Congress outside the Supreme Court for protesting in support of abortion rights. #AbortionRightsAreHumanRights pic.twitter.com/gvj9J1o5ic
— Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@RepAOC) July 19, 2022
I won’t stop fighting to protect reproductive health care, including the right to an abortion, and I will proudly put my body on the line to make it clear just how urgently we need to act. #BansOffOurBodies #WeWontGoBack pic.twitter.com/NxFVJXtaoo
— Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (@RepSaraJacobs) July 19, 2022
(via CBS News, image: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
